The Scarred Land
by Psyche's Shadow
Summary: A cursed drought plagues the Pridelands, and according to Rafiki, only Nala can undo the wrong that has brought it. But in order to do this, she must face the damned king, Scar, and this may prove to be something even Rafiki's training cannot prepare her for.
1. Chapter 1 - The Queen's Heir

Hello, people. This is my first story, and to tell you the truth, I never thought I would write a TLK story, so that's cool. Constructive criticism is very welcome. Don't be afraid to go hard on me; that means grammar errors, inconsistencies, plot holes, logic fails, or whatever you can find. As long as the criticism is reasonable and constructive I will take it and appreciate it. I want to get better, after all.

Also, as you will probably figure out, these characters are not really lions. I'm putting in some African mythology, so the characters will be more like shape-shifters and/or people with animal qualities. Hopefully this idea will clear itself up as the story goes on, but please et me know if it is confusing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Disney or the Lion King and its characters...obviously.

Anyways, thanks for checking out this story and please enjoy!

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The Queen's Heir

"Sarabi!" The lioness cried out.

Her sister was by her side immediately, "Sarafina, what do you need?"

"The baby," Sarafina gasped, "it's coming."

The queen nodded, "Don't worry, I'll be here to help."

"Just hold my hand."

Sarabi obliged. Her sister held onto her hand tightly as she continued through labor. Sarabi's nurses showed up shortly after to assist in the birth, and soon it was over. The nurses cleaned up the baby and handed it to Sarafina.

"Look, Sarabi, she's beautiful."

The queen smiled, "Yes, sister, now if you can excuse me, I would like to bring Rafiki in."

"Oh yes, please bring him in."

Sarabi stepped outside of her sister's hut to motion the shaman in. He came in and gently picked up the newborn from Sarafina. He inspected her for a moment, whispering something incomprehensible. Sarabi and Sarafina waited in silence. The shaman turned to the two women and smiled.

"I present to you the future queen of this pride."

"Truly?" Sarabi asked excitedly, "I have an heir now? And it's my sister's child!"

Rafiki handed the infant back to her mother. Sarafina looked at the shaman, "So, my daughter has the gift?"

"Look at her," The shaman said.

Both lionesses watched as the little infant wriggled around. Her ears kept switching back and forth between feline and human ears, a clear sign that she could become a full-fledged ailuranthrope.

Sarafina's own lion ears twitched with excitement, "Looks like she got your gift, Bi."

The queen leaned on her sister's shoulder, "I knew the gift was inside you. Who knew you were just saving it for your daughter."

The sisters chuckled together.

The shaman cleared his throat, "You know what this means?"

Sarabi looked at the infant, then to her sister, "Fina, your baby and mine are to be betrothed!"

Sarafina cocked her head, "But what if another is born with the gift."

"Rafiki knows that this cub will be Queen," the shaman said with certainty. Feeling his work was done, Rafiki left the hut and the sisters.

Sarabi laughed, "Well, what Rafiki says, goes. Your cub and my Simba will be betrothed."

Sarafina smiled sadly at her child, "If only Kai was here."

Kai was the father of Sarafina's child, but he had been banished for reasons neither Rafiki nor Mufasa would reveal. It had killed Sarafina, and Sarabi tried her best to distract her sister with Simba while she was pregnant, and she had hoped having her own child would keep her mind happy.

"I'm sure he would have been proud," Sarabi said quietly, "Do you have a name for your little beast?"

The new mother smiled, "She looks like a Nala, doesn't she?"

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Ok, so this first chapter was short and prologue-y. I intend on the future chapters being longer, though. I know this chapter is a bit...vague, so I'll post the next chapter soon, and hopefully some people will stick with me. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2 - Rafiki's Vision

Rafiki's Vision

Nala resisted the urge to twitch her tail as she hid in the grass. The impala she had been stalking was very jumpy. It had already been spooked twice by its own footsteps, and she rather not lose the animal. It would be her first kill of a larger animal in a while. Usually she would hunt birds or small rodents, but every so often she would hunt a larger animal to ensure she could still do it. She crept closer to the beast, waiting for it the graze. When the animal seemed to calm down, Nala leapt out of the grass. The impala barely had a chance to jump of in surprise, and it was finished quickly.

Nala picked up the limp body and dragged it back to the great tree. When she saw no sign of her teacher, Nala willed herself in her human form and began cleaning the impala.

Suddenly, the presence of her teacher was made known, "Have you thanked the spirit?"

"I did a quick blessing when I killed it, but it's hard to remember as a lion," Nala said quietly.

She was crouching down, so she looked up at him through her chestnut hair, suddenly aware that parts of her body were caked in blood, "I'm sorry, Master Rafiki, I know you prefer not to have death here, but—"

The shaman put a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry, child. It is the circle of life. Go. Clean yourself up. I will finish this. We have important matters to discuss."

Nala felt bad about having a vegetarian cleaning her kill, but she left to do as he said. She grabbed a large bowl and headed to the watering hole. When she reached it, she realized that Rafiki probably hadn't sent her away with the intention of having her clean herself up. The water level was much lower than it usually was, even for summer. And despite catching a reflection of her very filthy self, Nala knew it would be unwise to take a bath.

Instead, she shifted back into a lion. She quickly licked away the blood on her paws legs and muzzle. She would have liked to have given herself a proper grooming, but she knew she should return to Rafiki. She shifted back to a human and inspected her reflection. Satisfied with it, she dipped the bowl in the water, filled it up half-way and began walking back to the tree.

When she reached it, she found that Rafiki had draped the impala's skin over a branch, and was beginning to dry strips of meat. Nala set the bowl next to him, and knelt down beside him.

The shaman grinned at her, his eyes crinkling, "So, you have seen the hole now."

Nala nodded, "The drought has gotten worse, hasn't it?"

The man's tail twitched as he shrugged, "It seems that way, doesn't it?"

"Have you spoken to the kings about this?"

The shaman looked toward his tree, "Yes, they have told me things."

Rafiki finished laying out stips of meat on rocks, and wiped his hands off with a towel on his skirt. Nala waited in silence for her teacher to continue.

"How long have you been with me, Nala?"

The young lioness was taken aback, "I suppose it's been ten years now."

Rafiki picked up his stick and nodded, "Yes, and in this time what have you learned?"

Her brow furrowed, "You have taught me much, Master Rafiki. It would be hard to say. But I've mastered my lion-form because of your training and you have taught me a lot about my pride's history."

"And all for what?"

Nala thought back to the day when her mother sent her off to Rafiki, "I was meant to be the next queen."

"Was?" Rafiki laughed, "You still are!"

Nala gave a small smile, she hated when Rafiki brought up her birthright, "Things have changed, and I've been away for so long now. Who knows if I will even be welcomed back."

A melon came hurtling towards Nala. With a small yelp, she barely caught the fruit.

Rafiki chuckled, "You've been away too long. I think so. The kings think so. You pride thinks so. And they will need you especially because of this drought."

"As a hunter?" Nala asked hopefully.

"More than that."

Nala groaned inwardly. She didn't want to be queen.

"The drought is much worse close to your village."

Nala cocked her head as Rafiki continued, "We are at the borders of the Pridelands. The drought is not so bad here. The land becomes less fertile as you near your village."

This worried Nala, "Is there a famine, then?"

Rafiki didn't answer her question, "The kings have been whispering."

Nala sighed inwardly; Rafiki was about to say something very cryptic, "What have they said?"

"The drought can end."

Nala caught his gaze, a bit confused, "When?"

The shaman grinned his infuriating grin, "Not when. How."

"Ok, then how?"

"The land has been wronged. The kings are disappointed. The wrong must be undone."

"So the drought is a curse?" Nala thought aloud, "How can we undo this?"

"Not we. You. The future queen."

Nala's head buzzed; he was not going to let the queen-thing go, "What is the wrong? I will do what I can to fix it."

Rafiki didn't answer her, so she tried to keep the exasperation out of her voice, "Well, can you give me a hint about how I'm going to fix this?"

The shaman pulled out a small bag from his skirt and tossed it to Nala, "Return to your pride and speak with the damnned king."

Before Nala could fully acknowledge what had been said. Rafiki shifted into a baboon and ran off, leaving Nala rather baffled.

Nala looked down at the bag Rafiki had thrown at her. She assumed it was meant to carry the meat. Back to her pride.

With a sigh, Nala got up and began packing the meat into the bag. Nala didn't know how, but Rafiki had managed to dry it in a matter of an hour. When she finished, she slung the bag over her shoulder and started heading towards the direction of her pride.

"The dammned king, huh?"

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So here is the next chapter. I will try to update as often as I can, but I still need to organize what is going on in my head. I have a few more chapters written, but they still need to be edited. Please let me know what you think!

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	3. Chapter 3 - A Journey Home

Chapter III – A Journey Home

Nala did not like staying in her lion form for too long. She felt that her thoughts had to be compressed and simplified whenever she shifted into one completely. Rafiki constantly assured her that this feeling would go away with enough practice, but he never stated how much practice, which worried Nala. No one actually knew how old that shaman was. Plus, he was the only one Nala had ever heard of that could shift into a baboon. For all she knew, he was immortal and his idea of 'enough practice' was well beyond her own lifespan.

So while Nala probably could have made it to her pride in a day as a lion, she had been switching between her two forms throughout the trip.

It also probably would have been easier on her mind to stay a lion for the trip's entirety. Rafiki's words seemed more haunting the longer Nala thought about them. So much could change in ten years, but Nala had hoped that her pride had stayed as it was when she left it. Or at least, as similar as it can be with the death of the king and the heir.

Nala didn't experience the aftermath of those deaths because of her mother.

 _It had been a very dry day and boring. Ever sing the elephant graveyard incident, Nala hadn't seen Simba much. Nala was a bit disappointed since she knew her training would begin soon, so she wouldn't get to see Simba as often, but she tried to put those thoughts aside._

 _Since it was a hot day, Nala was sitting in the middle of the hut where it was coolest, playing with her tongue. She loved how she could make it be longer and grow bristles. She was pretty occupied with this task when her mother ran into the hut._

 _"Nala! What are you—never mind," She shook her head, her tail twitching nervously, "Come, Nala follow me."_

 _The expression on her mother's face was a look she had never seen before, "What is it, Mom?"_

 _Without a word, her mother grabbed the young girl by the arm and nearly dragged her out of their hut._

 _Nala tripped over her own feet as she tried to keep up with her mother, "Mama, what's going on? Is this because of the graveyard?"_

 _Her mother didn't say a word and continued to pull her daughter across the pride's village as the hot sun glared down on them. As they ran, they kicked up dirt, causing Nala's throat to dry. They made it past the village gates, but Sarafina's pace did not slow until the village was not in sight._

 _Finally they stopped, and Nala fell to the ground choking and panting. Her mother crouched down and held her, "I'm sorry, Nala, I'm sorry. But I had to be sure you would be safe."_

 _Nala looked into her mother's frightened eyes, still out of breath. She had never seen her mother like this. It was jarring. Sarafina continued as Nala gasped for air, "My child, I don't know how to tell you this, but our king Mufasa is dead, and Simba—is missing."_

 _"What do you mean?" Nala finally found her voice._

 _"Mufasa's brother will take the throne, so you must go."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Scar is unpredictable. Who knows how he will react to the news. As a cub, your life is endangered, and as the destined queen, it is also endangered."_

 _"I don't want to go." Nala said indignantly; the words felt strange on her tongue. She never argued with her mother._

 _Sarafina smiled sadly, tears forming in her eyes, "I'm afraid we don't have much of a choice. You will live with the shaman until it is safe for you to return. It has been decided."_

 _"Who is the shaman?"_

 _As if on cue, a wild-looking man came walking from the opposite direction of the savannah. He was wearing a long leaf skirt and carrying a stick with various objects dangling from it. His white hair was wild and paint covered his face. Nala had never seen someone like him._

 _When he reached the mother and child, he said, "Sarafina, you got my message. I'm glad you can still receive them."_

 _Nala's mother bowed her head, "You taught me well, Master. And you have saved my daughter. Nala, this is Rafiki, the shaman of this area."_

 _Nala stared at the strange man in front of her. Her mother wanted to send her away with him?_

 _The shaman peered down at her, "You, child, have the gift, and you must learn to control it."_

 _Nala looked at the man skeptically, "You mean, I can turn into a lion, right?"_

 _Sarafina smiled at her daughter. Nala growled. The man just laughed, "Yes, and I can help you do so much more."_

 _Sarafina picked up her daughter, "Think of this as starting your training a few days early. Master Rafiki was going to teach you some lessons anyways. Now, he'll just teach you everything."_

 _Nala peered into her mother's green eyes unconvinced. Sarafina managed a sad smile, "You know, he taught me and your aunt when we were cubs. He is a great teacher."_

 _Nala turned to inspect the shaman again, then said, "Can you teach me to hunt as good as my mom?"_

 _Rafiki smiled and her mother chuckled, "Don't worry, Nala, he can teach you everything. Besides, I'll visit you whenever I can and you can come back as soon as we're sure it's safe."_

 _There was a pause, then Nala said, "Okay. I can do it."_

 _Sarafina set her down and Nala went over to Rafiki. Rafiki and her mother bowed. Then Nala and Rafiki began walking farther away from the pride. Nala felt her mother's eyes on the back of her head for awhile. Nala tried to remember the feeling of them because she knew, despite what her mother said, she wouldn't be seeing them for a while._

In fact, after ten years, Nala hadn't seen her mother once. Of course, Nala also quickly found out that Simba was dead. And over the years, she began to believe that it would never be safe enough for her to come home. As she continued through the savannah, she wasn't convinced that her pride would have the safety her mother had hoped for. The fact that she was heading there ten years later only to save it from a curse implied that safety didn't exist. So her fleeting and foolish hope that her pride was the same was quickly banished as she recalled all she knew about its current state.

When Rafiki was teaching her clairvoyance, he warned against looking into her pride, and for the most part, Nala was obedient, but as she got older, she got curious. A few years ago, she peered into her village to see what it was like, and it was disturbing. The shrubbery had been desiccated and black, and the trees were uprooted and lifeless. There hadn't been any cubs running around playing, and the stench of hyenas pierced her nose. She didn't get a better look because Rafiki figured out what she was doing and interrupted her. She had written off what she experienced for an extreme summer, but now, with Rafiki's words in mind, she wondered when the wrong in the land had been committed. Droughts happened. Rafiki's tree and the surrounding land were experiencing a drought right now, but Nala wondered how long her pride's drought had lasted.

With a setting sun and her pride nowhere in sight, Nala was beginning to regret more deeply her decision to not take this journey as a lion. Deciding it would unwise to travel at night, Nala found a hollowed tree that could serve as shelter for the night. She ate some meat while promising to herself that she would take the rest of the journey as a lion. Stalling her journey might preserve her childish hopes, but it would not help her pride, and that would be irresponsible. Nala shifted to a lion and watched the stars until she found sleep.

* * *

Hello readers,

Hopefully the ending of this chapter doesn't seem too abrupt. I was afraid of dragging it out. Anyways, thank you to anyone who is reading this. I will continue to update this story. Though, I cannot say how frequently those updates will come. I know I had a weird two-week gap of not updating, plus this is only the third chapter, so I haven't really formed any update patterns, and...I'm not really sure where I am going with this statement, but please let me know your thoughts on the story. Although, right now, it may be too soon to have any thoughts. Hahaha. But, please, bear with me. As I said in the last chapter, I do have more of this story written. It is just a matter of taking the time to edit it and make it...coherent. Yes. We'll go with that...


	4. Chapter 4 - The Pridelands

Hello, it has been a long time, and I apologize for that. Thank you to everyone who has returned to read this and thank you to any new readers. I know the past few chapters have been a bit of a set-up to the story, so thank you for enduring through that.

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The Pridelands

Sleep had not been kind to Nala. She had been plagued with dreams of her village being swallowed up by the earth as cruel, green eyes illuminated the sky, almost mocking her. She woke up just before the sun had risen, and immediately continued to her pride as a lion. Still, even as an animal, those gleaming green eyes haunted her. She hurried onward, almost as if she could run away from the memory, the primitive part of her mind telling her to run, while the now quiet, rational part whispered that it had only been a dream. Still, after studying under Rafiki for so long, Nala knew better than to dismiss a dream that came with such force. But as the day went on—and the sun rose higher—Nala was able to tone down the horrors of it, until it was only a shadow in the back of her mind.

It was a little after midday when she could see the gates of her village. Nala shifted back to a human so she could take in her surroundings as a human, rather than a predator. The tall grass surrounding her became increasingly dry and limp as she neared her pride. And there was an awful smell. Something she couldn't place. It was like death, but at the same time it felt much more abrasive on her nose. However, the border-lands were nothing like her pride's village. She reached the gates and shivered, despite the afternoon sun bearing down on her.

What she saw was worse than in her vision. The earth was cracked, resembling flaky stone instead of dirt. There were only a few withered trees scattered around. The black, uprooted ones were there, but now she could see that these dead trees were also choking what little life the remaining trees had. Nala heard a low buzzing in the air, as if the entire pride was waiting—or hiding—for something to happen.

She was only at the entrance, so she couldn't see the huts, but she saw the looming Pride Rock. When she was younger, it had impressed her, but now the castle seemed like a fortress looming ahead, waiting to devour her.

No one could be seen.

"It's probably better that way," Nala's voice cracked from not being used for over a day, "I don't need any distractions."

Hearing her voice pulled her out of the horror that she saw before her.

"The castle," she whispered to herself, and she began walking quietly towards Pride Rock.

She had been clutching the handle of the bag Rafiki had given her with so much force that her nails dug into her hands. She winced but looked down at the bag. It was still full of meat since she hadn't eaten much of it. It was now evident that there was a famine in her pride. She sighed and changed directions.

She was a little surprised when she saw no one in her mother's hut; in fact, she wasn't even sure if it was her mother's, but she saw one of her mother's blankets draped over the bed towards the back of the hut. Convinced, Nala set the bag of dried meat on the bed, knowing her mother was probably still second-in-command only to her aunt for the hunting team. She would find it and know how to distribute it.

"They're probably hunting right now," Nala said softly as she walked out of the hut.

But as she walked past the other huts, she noticed that they are all empty.

It could mean that all the lionesses are hunting, Nala thought, they are having a famine, after all.

But she saw no sign of cubs either. Surely cubs wouldn't be expected to hunt—famine or not. She pushed the thought aside. She would not think about why she didn't see any cubs or what that might mean.

Nala quickly headed toward the castle, no longer worried about being quiet knowing that her village was, for whatever reason, empty.

Nala looked at the overbearing doors to the throne room. The carvings on the doors of her pride's history had frightened her as a child, and looking at the gruesome images brought up some of her worst memories. She almost turned around. The pride would never know if she did. For all they knew—for all her mother knew—she died ten years before. She could have run away from Rafiki, out of grief, and then died, unable to survive in the harsh savannah. Her mother never visited, and Rafiki had been banished by the king. They would probably see the meat she left as a blessing from their ancestors. They would never suspect Nala had been there at all. But she remembered Rafiki's words about the drought, and her sense of responsibility kicked in. Even if the pride thought her dead or lost or whatever they thought, they had sent her out for her own survival. She was, after all, born as the next heiress to the throne.

She sighed, then gathering all the strength she had, she slowly knocked on the doors.

Zazu crept out. The bird-man seemed a little confused as he stared at the lioness before him, but then he recognized her.

"Nala?" the bright blue feathers in his hair twitched, "Is that you?"

She bowed her head, "It is indeed."

"But, we thought you were dead!"

She managed a weak smile; her mother probably told everyone except Sarabi that Nala had died, so her true fate would remain hidden.

"Not quite. I have been studying with Rafiki to prepare for my—" she paused. Could she even be a queen with her betrothed dead?

Zazu nodded in understanding, "Well, I'm sure your mother is relieved."

"She doesn't know that I am back yet," Nala tried to ignore the royal advisor's bewildered expression as she continued, "I need an audience with the king. Perhaps if this goes well, I can explain more to you later, but it is regarding the drought."

His expression darkened, "Nala, I know you mean well, but you have been away for ten years. I don't think you understand the, ah, circumstance of our king."

"I think I know more than you'd expect. I've been with Rafiki all this time, remember?"

Zazu still looked very uncertain, but he sighed, "Very well. Come with me."

Zazu escorted her through the doors and led her down a long hallway that was dimly lit with torches.

"I will need to report you to the king before you can actually meet with him. Technically, I'm supposed to leave you waiting outside." Zazu whispered quietly, "But with hyenas crawling around—well, let's just say there have been too many accidents."

Nala's stomach churned at the idea of her pride-members being injured or killed within these walls, "Things have definitely changed."

Her escort snorted, "That's one way of putting it, yes. Please wait here."

They had reached the end of the hallway, and an opening in the wall that resembled the entrance of a cave lay before them. Beyond the entry lay darkness. Zazu nervously hopped in.

"Sire, you have a visitor, requesting your audience." Nala pictured him bowing his impossibly low bow.

A low voice growled, "Who is it? I'm brooding right now, and I will not have any visitors while I'm brooding unless it is one of the huntresses."

Zazu gave a nervous laugh, "Well, uh, I can't say it is one of the huntresses, but—"

"Then send them off, you fool."

"But sir, it is a lioness who requests your audience."

"A lioness? Who isn't a huntress? And who might that be?"

Nala couldn't handle the anticipation any longer. She strode into the dark chamber ready to take on this damned king, but when she took in her surroundings, her courage vanished. She saw a looming shape towards the back of the room that must have been the throne, but she could not see who sat in it.

That is when she wondered. What type of king prefers to sit in darkness?

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Sorry, I know this is a bit of a cliff hanger, but the chapter was getting abnormally long, so for the sake of consistency, I felt I needed to cut this section in half, and this seemed like the best place. Besides, you'll (hopefully) see that the next chapter wouldn't quite fit with this one.


	5. Chapter 5 - The Damned King

Hello! It seems I have followers and a reviewer. Thank you to the three of you! Seeing those notifications made me way more excited than anticipated. I apologize for not updating sooner (although this is my quickest update, oops. Sorry about that.)

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The Damned King

There was a moment of silence. Everyone in the throne room seemed shocked by Nala's blunt entrance. In that moment of silence, however, Nala found her courage, reprimanding herself for being uneasy because of the dark. Her eyes adjusted to the room's darkness, and slowly, the figure sitting in the chair became clear to her. Scar. She knew it was him all along. Simba's uncle—a man from her childhood. Yes, a man. He was just a man. A man Rafiki called 'damned,' but a man nonetheless.

With this thought, she stepped closer to the throne and found her voice, "I am Nala, my lord. I doubt you'll remember me—"

"Nala?" the man in the throne mused, "I thought you had died. No matter. What brings you here, my dear?"

Slightly baffled, Nala inspected the king before her. His wild, black hair fell over his shoulders like a mane, and in the darkness, his emerald eyes seemed to glow with an intensity that made the young woman nervous.

Before she had a chance to collect her thoughts, the man stood from his throne, "Zazu, leave us. I'm sure Nala and I have important business to discuss."

There was an awkward pause, "Sire, are you sure?"

"Go inspect the water sources, or something. I don't care, just leave."

After what seemed to be a quick internal argument, Zazu slunk out of the throne room, making significant eye-contact with Nala as he did.

When they could no longer here the advisor's footsteps, Scar began to pace around Nala, inspecting her, his tail swishing gently back and forth, "You look healthy."

Nala decided to disregard that comment and began with her appeal, "My lord, I have been in the wilderness for ten years now, studying under the shaman Rafiki the art of ailuranthropy, and he has sent me with insight regarding the drought."

"Ailuranthropy? Truly?"

"Yes, but Rafiki has had a very interesting vision regarding the drought that would interest you."

"Is that why you disappeared? Because you were the last true female ailuranthrope to be born?"

Nala took in his words, distracted from her original task, "I did not mean to disappear, my lord."

That wasn't entirely true, but Scar didn't need to know the details behind her absence, "I only meant to study with the shaman to master the gift."

She then realized what Scar's words meant, "You mean, no other ailuranthrope has been born to this kingdom?"

"Yes," Scar drawled, as he continued to pace around her, "Partially due to the fact that none of the other lionesses, besides Sarabi, share the gift, and it cannot be learned."

"I am aware of that, but what about cubs?"

Scar chuckled as he stopped right in front of Nala, "Yes, that might solve the problem, but the drought of water is not the only drought we are enduring."

Nala couldn't believe what she was hearing, "There have been no cubs in ten years? This pride will die out."

The king clicked his tongue, "Yes, it is a tragedy, but I am the only male in this pride _and_ the king, and kings only mate with other ailuranthropes."

Nala knew that was far from true, and she didn't like where this conversation was going. She tried to steer it back towards the drought, "Well, perhaps if we can solve the drought, then other problems will be solved with it."

"Yes, the drought," Scar purred, "I'm curious to know what sort of insight that crazed man might have."

Again, Nala tried to ignore the insult Scar directed at her mentor, "He believes that the drought is a curse on this land. Not some natural occurrence."

Scar stiffened, but only momentarily. He quickly regained his irksome cool, "Does he now? And does he offer any solutions?"

Nala sighed, "He has been told a wrong has been done to the land and that I can help undo this wrong."

She decided not to mention that Scar would need to be part of this healing process because she was sure he would take it the wrong way.

There was a moment of silence as Scar inspected the lioness before him, to the point that Nala had to resist the urge to squirm.

Finally he said something, "Yes, I do believe the _shaman_ was on to something."

She didn't dare to be hopeful, "Do you?"

"Oh yes," Scar said, walking back to his throne. He sat down saying, "Now, Nala, my dear, forgive my skepticism, but I would like to see you perform ailuranthropy. How do I know that you are not just another lioness? One without a tail or any other feline features, for that matter."

Nala blushed, remembering that she was, in fact, bearing no resemblance of her lion form at the moment. She bowed, "I'd be much obliged, your Majesty."

First, she extended her claws from each finger. Next, she willed her ears to become more lion-like, and she finished by giving herself a tail. She figured he wanted to see the extent of her mastery of the art. Perhaps showing how well-versed she was in it was unwise, but she took pride in her ability.

Scar licked his lips, his own tail twitching, "I assume, then, that you can shift completely?"

Nala nodded, "Yes. I can show you if you wish."

"No, no. I take your word for it." Scar stood up from his throne again, and began pacing, "So. You truly were meant to be the next queen."

Her breath caught. This was not where she wanted the conversation to go.

When she didn't say anything, Scar strode over to her, stopped at about a foot from her, "You see, Nala, I need a queen. That is the wrong in the land. It must be."

He got closer to her still, "You said it yourself; this land will die soon if it is not provided with new life."

Nala managed a weak laugh, "Surely you cannot expect one lioness to produce an entire generation."

"No, of course not," Scar began to caress her shoulder with a claw, and she did her best to not to shudder, "but the lionesses are uncomfortable with the idea of taking mates when their own king does not have one."

Again, Nala didn't think that was true, and she was beginning to wonder why she hadn't heeded Zazu's warning about Scar's sanity or lack thereof, "Well, then take one as your mate."

"Oh, believe me, I would," Scar said, leaning closer in on Nala, "But I as I said before, I can only take an ailuranthrope. Someone who is meant to be queen. And Sarabi and I—we are like siblings. We could never be mates."

"Scar, please—"

Scar chuckled; it was a low rumble in his throat, "Eager to get on a first-name-basis are we?"

Nala tried to jerk away from him, but he held onto one of her arms, "Come Nala, let us form a union now. You can solve the shaman's 'problem' and take your birthright."

Nala tried to swipe at him with her claws, but he caught her hand.

"I don't want to do this the hard way, dear." Nala watched in horror as her claws receded back into her fingertips, against her will.

Scar, seeing her face, purred with pleasure, "I see Rafiki hasn't been able to teach you everything, or maybe this is a trick he doesn't know. No matter. When you are queen, I can teach you all that I know."

He took hold of her arms and his tail began to stroke her legs, "Now, how about our union?"

* * *

Scar watched as the fear on the young lioness's face grew. Her sea-green eyes shimmered with tears she stubbornly tried to restrain. Scar knew he would not be taking her at this moment, but it had been so long since he had someone new to manipulate and he intended to make the most of it.

His tail continued to trace delicate circles on her legs, slowly climbing higher. It reached her thighs and Nala shuddered, breaking the both of them from their spells.

"Scar, please," Nala started again, and this time, Scar did not interrupt her, "don't do this. I, I can't, I don't, please."

Scar continued to stare at her without ever loosening his grip on her arms. He intended on her saying everything he wanted her to say. On what she would think was her own accord.

He watched as her eyes darted around the room, purposefully avoiding his eyes. She could not escape him. He knew that. And eventually she knew that. Finally, her eyes met his. The effect on Scar was astonishing, and Scar was amazed by the resolution in the girl's eyes.

"My lord," Nala said quietly, "I cannot deny that it is my duty to be queen. And I understand why you and Sarabi would rather not mate, but I implore you to have mercy on me."

Scar decided to answer her plea with a word, "Mercy?"

His tail dropped and Nala's body relaxed significantly, "Yes, mercy. If our…our coupling is truly inevitable, well, then I will accept my duty."

Nala stole a quick glance into his eyes and hastily continued, "Please don't be insulted by my wording, it's just that I am not ready for anything of this, and I am not convinced that this will free the Pride Lands of its curse."

Scar cocked his head, inspecting the lioness before him. She hadn't said anything yet that would ruin his fun, but he needed to ensure that he would get what he wanted.

He released his grip from her and whispered, "What, then, do you propose?"

Nala's eyes widened from shock, as if she hadn't expected any chance of negotiation. She rubbed one of her now free arms absent-mindedly as she, presumably, collected herself.

"I ask that you allow me to stay here. Give me time to understand the situation. And if I cannot find a solution, then, I think it would be better to give the lionesses time to process my, um, ascension to the throne."

Now it was Scar's turn to think. He began to pace around the lioness, giving the impression that he was inspecting her body while he weighed his options, "That is reasonable, and I am a reasonable man. I prefer not to rush into things."

He watched as certain muscles in Nala's body relaxed, and she gave the smallest sigh of relief. Scar repressed a smile; he had given her hope and now he would have something to play with.

"Of course," Scar continued, stopping in front of Nala, "your frolicking cannot go on forever, so I will have to set a deadline for you."

The lioness looked as if she was going to say something, but she bit back her response. Scar smiled, "Two months. You have two months, my dear Nala, to solve our problem, and if you cannot free our land from its drought, then you will be my queen."

Scar spun around and stalked out of the throne room without waiting for a response. A new game had finally begun, and he intended to make her his before the two months were up.

* * *

In truth, this chapter was going to go in a different direction, but I decided I didn't like where it would take the story, so I changed it. Basically, I apologize if it seems a little choppy at any point because I literally cut out half of it and wrote a different ending. But that's how it goes, I suppose. Ok, in the future, I will try not bookending my chapters with notes (and I'll try to stop ranting). So. Any thoughts are appreciated! I'm leaving now. It's been a weird day.


	6. Chapter 6 - So Now What?

I would like to put forward my deepest apologies for not updating sooner. I never meant to go this long without updating, and for that I apologize. Although I cannot promise that I will _not_ do this again, I can say that I will continue to update the story. No matter how slow. You see, I have an idea of what will happen, it's just getting there that torments me. But I'll tread through.

On that note, I would like to thank my two new reviewers, trebeh and Jem Boy. I suppose I should also thank liliesandroses, as well, since I never properly thanked you for being my first reviewer. It's nice to know someone is actually enjoying this story. So thank you. I hope I will not disappoint you.

* * *

So Now What?

Nala stood in the dark chamber staring at the back door Scar had just exited through. Two months. He had given her two months to solve a problem Rafiki didn't fully understand. She cursed herself for the impulsive deal she made with Scar, but at the time, she couldn't see any other way to get out of—she didn't want to think about what would have happened if she hadn't done what she did. She had no way to overpower him without her ailuranthropy.

At the thought, she tried extending her claws again and found that they came forth. Whatever Scar had done to her had worn off. She looked around the empty chamber she found herself in and shivered. She quickly walked out from where she came. She did not want to spend any more time than she needed in the dark castle.

When she finally stepped outside back into the scorching sun, she found Zazu pacing anxiously just outside the stone doors. At the sight of Nala, he startled and hurried towards her.

Without waiting for him to speak, Nala said, "Don't worry. Nothing happened."

The bird man cocked his head, his bright blue feathers quivering, "How are you?"

Nala resisted to urge to spit out a laugh, "I've been better."

"Oh, Nala," Zazu began to speak frantically, "I was so worried! I did what I could and—"

"You didn't tell anyone, right?" Nala asked suddenly horrified.

Zazu's eyes widened, "No! There was no one to tell. All the lionesses are out hunting, I'm afraid. But I was prepared to fly in at a moment's notice."

Nala eyed the feathers on his arms suspiciously, wondering when was the last the man had actually flown, "Zazu. It's fine. Nothing happened." She said more firmly than she had intended.

Zazu sighed, somewhat defeated, "Were you able to reason with him?"

Nala cringed inwardly, "In a way."

"In a way?"

"Well, yes. Rafiki sent me here to solve the drought, and I think I need Sc—the king's cooperation."

"And?" Zazu looked at her expectantly.

"We were able to negotiate, but I doubt I'll get the cooperation I need from him."

"And what would this cooperation entail?"

Nala sighed, "I don't really know."

A strangled noise escaped from the birdman's mouth. He quickly collected himself, "Well, the pride and I will do whatever we can to assist you."

Nala managed a small smile.

"Speaking of which, would you like me to escort you to your mother's hut?"

"Thank you, but I think I remember where it is."

...

"Nala, is it really you?"

Sarafina was not one to cry, but when she came into her hut after another fruitless hunt to find her daughter sitting on the dirt floor, she could not stop her tears. At first, she thought it was a hallucination, brought about from malnutrition and dehydration, but then Nala spoke, and all Sarafina could do was hope that is was real.

For whatever reason, Nala hadn't expected this reaction from her mother. Shock? Yes. Joy? Of course. But tears? It was something she would have never expected of her mother.

As soon as she said yes, Sarafina swooped Nala into a tight embrace, "You're alive!"

Her statement was filled with so much disbelief, it could have been a question.

"I'm alive," Nala quietly repeated. She almost didn't want to explain the circumstances that brought her home, but it would be pointless to disregard it.

Sarafina broke the embrace with her daughter at her solemn tone. She cautiously grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes, "Nala?"

Nala met her mother's eyes and desperately wanted to smile, but she couldn't. It seemed meeting with Scar had put more strain than Nala thought.

Nevertheless, Nala refused to let anyone know that, "It was hard coming home to see…all this death."

Her mother's eyes darkened, "But that is not all, is it?"

Nala willed her shoulders to not sag. She would not cry. Especially not in front of her mother.

After a long moment, the young lioness said quietly, "We need to talk."

...

Scar paced anxiously in his alcove behind the throne room. That _child_ had said a wrong had been done onto the land. He was not one to believe the superstitious blabbering of a senile baboon, but Nala's appearance was rather inopportune.

Over the past few years, as the drought had worsened, the hyenas had become increasingly…bothersome. Despite keeping them on a very tight leash, Scar was certain they were the reason behind the famine. What, with their insatiable greed and endless abuse towards the lionesses, Scar was surprised the land hadn't collapsed on itself yet.

In fact, he suspected the hyenas were planning a mutiny against him. On the other hand, he had been slowly planning a way to rid himself of the hyenas once and for all, but it was proving to be difficult. His best option was to wait for them to stage the inevitable mutiny and take them down in response.

However, in the time being, he was losing respect amongst the lionesses because of those barking idiots, and the last thing he needed was the rightful queen to show up with stories of wronged lands and curses. The commotion she'd cause—it was already giving Scar a headache.

Scar growled. His dreams of Mufasa were becoming increasingly frequent. Of course, his dreams only paralleled the whisperings of the lionesses. Whenever something went wrong, they would speak about Mufasa. In hushed tones, of course, because his _poor_ brother could barely stand to hear his name and not grieve. But their whispers would always reach Scar's ears, and so, even in death, Mufasa taunted him.

Still. The Nala problem would have to be solved. Their bargain brought challenges in of itself, but they were challenges he would have to deal with later. For now, Scar would have to wait and see how he could use Nala for his plans.


	7. Chapter 7 - Maternal Figures

Maternal Figures

When she began telling her mother of Rafiki's vision, Sarafina had stopped her, telling Nala that this was something her aunt should hear, as well. Sarafina had rushed out of the hut without another word, not even giving Nala a chance to offer the dried meat she brought.

When her aunt ducked her head into the hut with her mother, Nala felt a swell of joy, but her heart broke at how anguished the old queen seemed. Sarabi's eyes lit up a bit at the sight of her niece, but it was evident that matron lioness was still mourning over the crippling loss of her family.

Now, the three lionesses were sitting in a circle on the floor of Sarafina's hut as Nala finished explaining to her mother and aunt why she had returned to Pride Rock.

"So you met with Scar?" Sarafina inquired.

Nala gave a small nod.

"And what did he say?" Sarabi asked in a low voice.

Nala thought for a moment, trying to decide what details she should include and omit. However, something in her face must have given her thoughts away because Sarafina's face gave way to a glimmer of panic.

"He didn't ask you to become his queen, did he?"

Nala cringed, "Not exactly."

"Not exactly?" Sarabi's voice was a low rumble.

Nala sighed, "I was given two months to solve the land's drought problem, and if I am unable to do so, then," Nala swallowed, "we go with Scar's plan, which is our union." The last few words seemed to come out too slowly.

"What?" Sarafina nearly cried out. Sarabi held one of her sister's hand for comfort.

Nala lowered her ears in a submissive fashion, "I am prepared to take this responsibility; it is my birthright, aft—"

"You can't be serious, Nala." Sarafina chided, her tail swinging anxiously, "We sent you into hiding so Scar _wouldn't_ take you as his child bride."

Nala felt a flash of anger, "If I recall correctly, you sent me away to train with Rafiki to become a queen, and I have trained, and if I must, I will become a queen."

"Your mother is right, Nala." Sarabi said calmly, "It is true that we sent you away to train, and I am sure you are more than ready to be queen, but all our efforts—all your efforts—will be in vain if you allow yourself to be Scar's bride. We didn't want that for you."

Nala suddenly felt ashamed for her outburst, "I understand that, and believe me. I do _not_ want to be his bride, but he believes the Pride Lands need a queen, and if that is true, then I must take my place. For the sake of the pride."

Sarabi gave a sad smile and looked to her sister. A nonverbal communication passed between them as Nala looked on.

Finally, Sarabi broke the connection and spoke, "You are going to be a wonderful ruler, one day, and for that I am grateful."

"And proud," Sarafina interjected.

Sarabi gave a deep nod, "But do you truly believe that becoming Scar's queen will right the land?"

The young lioness bowed her head as she thought. Of course she didn't. She hadn't thought for one moment it would, but at the time, she would have done almost anything to escape Scar's grasp—even if she only delayed it for two months.

 _No._ She thought determinedly. _I will not be his bride_. She would figure out the curse in two months. She had two, and if she ran out of time—

Nala felt the piercing eyes of the two older lionesses staring at her. At their concerned looks, the young lioness realized she had not answered her aunt's question. She quickly spat out an answer, "No, but this bargain may buy me more time."

Her mother looked visibly relieved, "If it is time you need, your aunt and I can get you time. Easily."

She looked at her mother suspiciously, but it was Sarabi that spoke, "It is true. Scar is not the wisest king, but he isn't a foolish one. He wouldn't do anything that would cause an outburst amongst his…pupils."

Nala cocked her head, and Sarabi clarified, "We can handle the hyenas, but something we will not stand for is Scar coercing someone into being his queen. Scar would be a fool to ignore us."

Nala nodded in understanding. So Scar was not a popular king. It didn't surprise her at all, but it didn't really reassure either when she remembered Rafiki's words. Technically, she did what he told her to do. She spoke with the damned king, and yet she knew that was not enough. Somehow, just as she knew her mother would not visit her so many years ago, she knew that she would not just have to speak to Scar to right the Pride Lands.

"Before I forget," Nala said, trying to keep the looming thoughts of her responsibility at a temporary bay, "I brought some meat with me."

The two sisters looked up with interest. Nala continued, "It's not a lot, but with the drought and the famine, I thought I should help."

She handed Sarabi her bag. Her aunt's eyes widened as she peered into it, "Thank you, Nala. This will be very helpful to have. You dried it?"

Nala nodded, "I'm not sure how long it will last, but—"

"Oh, don't worry. If you dried it, it will last a long time." Sarabi said happily.

Upon seeing her daughter's mildly confused face, Sarafina offered an explanation, "When the drought first hit us, we realized that the hyenas would literally eat away our land. So we started saving meat whenever we could."

"Through practice, we've learned how long dehydrated meat can last."

Nala felt a twist in her gut at the morbid implications of her aunt's statement, "I assume this famine has nothing to do with the talent of your hunting guard."

The two older women shook their heads sadly.

"No, and while I'm sure you have become a wonderful huntress, you will have more important things to worry about than our food supply," Sarabi said gravely.

Nala almost chuckled at the statement. Almost. Still, even though their discussion about the king had ended, there were still several things bothering her about her endeavor.

Before she could think twice, Nala blurted out, "Why haven't there been any new cubs?"

The world seemed to still at her words. The sisters met each other's eyes.

Nala was about to rescind her question, when Sarabi spoke quietly, "After you left, many of the lionesses lost their ability to reproduce. Your mother and I, included."

"The only ones who did not lose their cycles were children—barely older than you were," Sarafina whispered, "or were older than the safe child-bearing age."

"We couldn't allow the young to try to continue the bloodlines, but when they were old enough, their cycles vanished as well," Sarabi sighed, "And the old—if they were able to produce a cub, it was always a stillborn."

The young lioness could not believe what she was hearing, "I thought Scar just didn't want anyone mating before he did." Nala began pacing in the small room, "How did I not know about this part of the curse. Why didn't Rafiki tell me?"

"Perhaps he didn't know."

"Or maybe he didn't understand it."

Nala gave her mother and aunt a doubtful look, "Out of all the things that has happened to this land, widespread infertility seems like the only real curse. Droughts and famines can happen naturally, but everyone losing their cycles? _That_ sounds like a curse."

"Do you have your cycle?" Sarafina asked, suddenly curious.

Nala blushed at her mother's brashness, "As far as I know."

"If you lose it while staying here, then we'll know it is part of the curse," Sarafina said triumphantly.

"It is definitely part of the curse, Mother," Nala said, stubbornly trying to ignore her mother's blatant interest in her ability to bear children.

She did not continue verbalizing her train of thought, however, for Nala did not want the older lionesses to hear the disturbing conclusion she was reaching. If the curse really started with infertility, then she wondered if their ancestors had actually sent it as she had first assumed. It was true that ancestors were known for occasionally brandishing their wrath against the living whenever they were dishonored, but Nala could not figure out why the pride's ancestors would go so far as curse them with infertility. What wrong could be so great that would damn a pride to extinction?

Eager to change the subject, the young lioness yawned with feigned fatigue, "I will need to start my research right away if I'm to solve this curse in two months."

Her words had meant to be funny, but upon saying them, Nala realized how dismal they sounded.

Nonetheless, her mother nodded, "Of course. I still have your old blankets, but they're probably going to be small."

Nala smile, "Don't worry, Mom. Have you forgotten what it is like to train under Rafiki?"

At this both lionesses laughed. Sarabi recovered first, "Does he still use the rock bed as punishment."

Nala grimaced, "Yep, and it was my main mode of sleep in my first few years."

"I'm not surprised," Sarabi chuckled, "I'll leave you two, then. I want to store the meat before the hyenas come in for the night."

As the sisters bid each other good night, Nala pulled out the blankets her mother was talking about. She smiled at the hand-woven image on the larger blanket of two young lion cubs prancing in the savanna grass. Sarabi had given it to her for her eighth birthday. It had been the year she found out she was betrothed. Nala let out a small sigh. After over a decade, the color in the fabric had faded, but the vibrant red hair of the cub on the right was still evident. Nala gently brushed the depiction of her dead betrothed and friend before setting it down. A pang of heartache went through her as she finally realized why she had been dreading returning to her pride. Simba.

* * *

A/N: I realize I did not offer an explanation as to _how_ the lionesses might reproduce if the only lions that are ever present are Scar, Simba, and Mufasa. Rogue lions seem to be a popular speculation. I guess I could have created some OC lions…not sure how relevant they would be to the story, however. Sorry for the wait. I'm going to try to get another chapter out this month, and I will actually start including Scar and Nala interactions, hopefully. I might have underestimated how hard it would be for me to write their interactions. Oops. But, thank you for reading!


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